There’s no getting around it: a memorial service for a popular character is going to be excruciating to watch. Some are going to sob, some are going to be angry, and chaos might ensue. So, when the funeral for Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco) took place in the Nov. 19, 2024 episode of General Hospital, it was clear that fans would have strong emotions about it.
It was grim enough to learn Sam was exiting General Hospital. Then there was the cruel plotline of Sam passing away after donating her liver to Lulu Spencer (Emme Rylan). Now viewers are sharing why they have a massive problem with the funeral episode. One fan summed up the general vibe when they wrote on X, “This was a weird af tribute lol… yikes!”
Others found the funeral perplexing because of two characters who appeared: Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) and Carly Corinthos (Laura Wright). One asked, “What was Nina’s reason for being there?” Another wrote that Sam and Carly “were NOT friends” so it didn’t make sense for Carly to make a speech.
Fans are stuck on why Nina attended Sam’s funeral because of the bad blood between the two of them. Sam fell in love with Nina’s husband Silas Clay (Michael Easton) without realizing they were married… oops! But since Nina was in a coma at the time, no one would blame Sam. It’s no wonder viewers know that Sam would be rolling over in her grave if she knew who was at an event that was supposed to celebrate her life. Sure, one could argue that Nina felt she should be polite and honor Sam’s life, but it would have been fine for her to stay home, too.
As for Carly, she and Sam had a rocky relationship. They used to argue over Sam’s romance with Jason Morgan (Steve Burton), who is also Carly’s good friend. However, in episodes that aired earlier in 2024, Sam and Carly shockingly became pals. Then, as General Hospital got closer to killing Sam off, the two were mad at each other again. It’s a classic case of two strong-willed people thinking that they are each right. Sam didn’t think that Jason was being a responsible dad to Danny (Asher Antonyzyn), and Carly didn’t agree.
It makes sense that most people living in Port Charles would come out for Sam’s funeral given how long she lived there… and also the fact that her death is one of the most talked about moments from this season. But it was definitely odd that Carly would feel it was appropriate to make a speech considering she and Sam used to get into physical brawls…
At least there was one nice moment at the end of Sam’s funeral: her mom Alexis Graham (Nancy Lee Grahn) sharing how much she loved being close to her daughter. Attempting not to bawl was impossible when Alexis said, “Thank you for choosing me, my angel.” Grahn felt the sad vibes IRL, too, and posted on X, “it was equally as hard for me and my castmates to play.” She added, “Playing Kelly Monaco’s mom has been effortless and the love is real.”
That doesn’t make up for all the mistakes made with Sam’s death or her funeral, but that was at least perfect.